Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-04-22

.
Thayer of Worcester
When Mr.. Thayer advocated charter
ing the Emigrant Aid company there
was not man in either branch of the
leg stature who took any stock in the
project. The late Judge Colt was
cha rman of the judiciary committee,
and of the colonization scheme he said;
1--WE all regard it as utterly futile and
jmpracticable. Here you are fifteen
hundred miles from Kansas. The Mis-
souri, shareholders are just over the
line. and can undo in a day all you can
do in year. You propose to take
Immigrants over millions of acres of
better lands than there is in Kansas
where they can have peace aud plenty,
and YOU propose to put them in Kansas
at the risk of losing life and property.
and with the necessity of contendng
for both against the bowie-knife and
revolver of border ruilians."
Thayer replied; Give me this char
ter and you viii never see another
| SldNc Sbhtc oiF5uHlhcu Az tHis hhIV,.-
And he was right.
| The capital stock of the company
was originally fixed at 100000. and
as soon as 81 900, 900 was subscr bed it
was proposed to collect an assess
ment Of 4 per cent, for the operations
of 1854. Subsequently the provisions
of the charter proved unsatisfactory to
some of the parties interested, and on
June Is the company organized under
private articles OF association and en-
trusted tho arrangement of affairs to
Thayer and j. NJ S Williams of Cam
bridge Eli Thaycr was the real mo-
tive Of the movement, however Upon
him devolved the duty of exciting and
directing public sentiment in favor Of
the plan, and of collecting subscriptions
and organizing, auxiliary emigrant
aid companies in the other New Eng
land states and in New York. In the
prosecution of this work Mr.. Thayer
travelled over GO. 900 miles, speaking in
every available place, He addressed
the farmers of New Hampshire and
Vermont the lumbcrmen of northern
maine. the merchants of New York,
and the mechanics and and business
men of the manufacturing centers of
New England
Of his campaigning Mr.. Thayer tells
numerous anecdotes one of which is
that when he was addressing an audi
ence upon the colonization OF Kansas,
in the yestry of Henry Ward Beecher's
church-having been invited by the
great preacher to do so,-before tho
meeting was opened the Plymouth pas
tor said: Now, Thayer when allud-
ing to border ruilians don't be afraid to
talk as you feel. Ii You want to say
damn say damn"
AT another time the company found
themselves in need of funds, and 1.-THE
king of popular sovereignty Ga title
given by stephen A. Douglas to Mr..
Thayer) had meeting of somo twenty
of New York's publ,c-sp rted citizens
at the house of George w. Blunt on
Sixteenth street. William Nj. Evarts
was there. and after Mir. Thayer had
explained the necessity for raising the
money and the object TO which it was
to be appl ed, Mr. Evarts sa d: Il
have just listened TO the first pract cal
clue dalton OF the slavery quest on that
| have ever heard. | have waited for
an opportunity to act effectively against
slavery and in accordance with the
lass, the constitution, and the union.
That opportunity | now have. and,
bunker wing though | am called, and
poor man though | am. for ! am not
worth $4,000 in the world i give the
Emigrant Aid company my check for
$1,000 Senator Evarts has recently
told citizen of Worcester that that
was The best investment he ever made.
The founder of the Dread institute.
who is now living so quietly and unob-
trusively among his fellow citizens. and
was the originator and father of the
voluntary organ zed emigration, which
The London Times said was 1.-THE great
est American movement of the age"
He sent the saw mill aud the grist-mill
to fight slavery at its own doors. and
won the battle. In two years he had
two free state men to one slave-state
man in Kansas. and the institution of
slavery was forever doomed in that ter
ritory before tho slaveoeracy of Mis-
souri, had fully realized the magnitude
and power of the movement inaugural
ed. and directed by an unpretcntious
citizen of Worcester. The slave power
was invited to fair and open contest
with free labor, and they retired sui
lenly from the struggle. contenting
themselves with Offering rewards.
which We're posted along the highways
and advertised in the newspapers, for
the head of Eli Thayer, whose organ
lied emigration scheme throttled slave
~ in the verg zenith Of its power.
From Kansas the great ag tator of
popular sovereignty turned his atten-
ton to the old Dominion. and organic
ed and founded the town of Ceredo in
West Virginia. He preached popular
sovereignty there. too, and Governor
Visa and tyyplyn of tho uawsn,pars yg